Wrench



L. E. HAGBO Oct. 1, 1935.

WRENCH Filed Jan. 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l g ans E.fizg%o M A.

1 4 L I I l l I u I:

A TTORNEY Oct. 1, 1935. L, E, HAG 2,015,895

WRENCH Filed Jan. 16, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,5 INVENTOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTO2 09 0 1! OEY LarsE.

L. E. HAGBO Oct. 1, 1935.

WRENCH Filed Jan. 16, 1933 Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,015,895 WRENCH Lars E. Hagbo, Seattle, Wash. ApplicationJanuary 16, 1933, Serial No. 651,930

Claims. (01. 81-443) My invention relates to wrenches, and includesprinciples applicable to pipe wrenches as well as to nut wrenches. Thepresent application is a continuation in part of my application SerialNo. 5 539,297, filed May 22, 1931, and application Serial No. 36,872,filed August 19, 1935 is a continuation of the instant application.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby amovable jaw of a wrench can be secured in any desired position ofadjustment, and further, to provide means whereby the movable jaw can bepositively locked in any such position.

It is a further object to provide means of the character indicatedabove, which can be incorporated in wrenches of the general design nowin use, and which can be so located in such wrenches that they will notproject especially at the sides, where they may be liable to engage withthe work, yet where they are readily accessible by a finger of the handnormally holding the wrench for operation.

It is a further object to provide ,a wrench of the general characterindicated, in which the re- '25 lease of the movable jaw for openingmovement under the influence of a spring acting thereon, and thepositive locking of the same in any adjusted position, can beaccomplished by a single member. It is also an object to provide meansof the character indicated which shall be simple in construction andthoroughly reliable in operation, simple to assemble, and by means ofwhich the wrench can be made lighter than wrenches of corresponding typeand size now in use.

It is a further object, in conjunction with. a pipe wrench particularly,to provide simple and reliable means whereby the movable jaw may alwaysbe swung, when not in use, to the position of nearest approach to thefixed jaw, or in an alternative form, to a position intermediate theposition of closest approach and the farthest distant position.

It is also an object, in conjunction with a pipe wrench, to constructthe same in such manner that the very considerable stresses developed inuse can be relieved from the pivot about which the-movable jaw swings,and delivered directly from the movable jaw or its immediate support tothe handle.

l claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention incorporated invarious illustrative types of wrenches.

Figure l is a side elevation, and Figure 2 an edge elevation of a-nutwrench embodying my 6 invention, the handle being omitted.

Figure 3 isv asectional elevation through the same in open position, andFigure 4 is a similar view in the locked operative position.

Figure 5 is a transverse section substantially 10 on the line 55 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is an elevation of my invention incorporated in a pipe wrench,parts being shown in position about to grasp a pipe.

Figure '7 is a sectional elevation of the same 15 Figure 12 is asectional elevation of a modified form of the nut wrench. My inventionis incorporated in its simplest form in the nut wrench, which, as shown,is of the well-known crescent type, comprising a handle IS, a fixed jawi formed integral therewith, and 30 a movable jaw 2 formed integral witha slide 29 received within a guide l2 in the head of the wrench, thisguide extending perpendicularly to the face of the fixed jaw l. A spring2! received upon a pin l l at one end, and within a cavity 22 guide I2,is a chamber i4 formed in the head of the wrench which may have parallelopposite walls, and one surface at least of this chamber is arranged atan angle to the guide i2, and faces away from the movable law 2. Within45 this chamber is received a slide-engaging member which is shown asthe wedge block 3. This wedge block may engage a surface of the slide20, and by the wedging action of the slide tending to move "away fromthe fixed jaw, in conjunction 50 with the inclined surface of thechamber M, the slide may be wedged and held in any position, but inorder to insure such engagement between the wedge block and slide aswill accomplish this result, I prefer that their engaging surfaces beprovided with a series of fine, transverse corrugations, as is bestillustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Also, to insure engagement of the wedgeblock with the slide, I provide spring means to urge the wedge blockalways towards the slide. These i means, as shown, comprise a spring 3!)surrounding a pin 3!, this pin having a reduced shank 32 and a largerhead 33, the head being received in a transverse recess 35 in the wedgeblock. The spring 3i; bears against a button head 35 on the pin 3 andthus urges the wedge into engagement with the slide. The mounting of thehead 33 within its recess 36 and of the pin 3! within its recess is suchas will permit limited oscillation of the pin 3!, and the button 35 isso positioned as to be engageable by the thumb of the hand whichnormally holds the wrench in operative position.

My invention thus far is identical in principle to that disclosed in myapplication Serial No. 539,297, the only diiference being that in thatform, as shown in Figure 12, the wedging member, designated 3" in Figure12, is substantially triangular in elevation, and instead of theenlarged head 33 there is provided a transverse pin 33 received in abore in the wedge block 3", and slightlyoscillat'able therein, the endof the pin 3! being threadedly engaged with the cross pin33, asindicated at 34.

Referring again to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, a knurled jaw lockingmember 4 is provided in position to engage the wedge block 3. This isshown as a nearly circular cam member pivotally mounted at 463 in thehead of the wrench. When pressure from the button 35, however, willpermit high point 42 of the cam has been turned into engagement with theend of the wedge block and since the wedge block is maintained inengagement with the slide 2!! by means of the spring 33, the lockingmember when swung into this position will positively lock the wedgeblock ceed with his workwith the assurance that the jaws of the wrenchare positively locked in what ever position they may have been adjusted.Also, as shown, a spring surrounding the pivot ii! may engage the heador casing and the looking member to frictionally hold such member n anadjusted position. Still, whenever adjustment is required, pressure of afinger releases the locking member, another finger releases the wedge,and the jawZ slides fully open under the influence of spring 2!. Fromthis position it is simple to move it to the new operative position, andagain to lock it.

In the pipe wrench, shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, an extra part,the saddle 5, is pivotally supported at 5! from the handle I, andtherefore is not directly connected to the fixed jaw I, but it is to allintents and purposes a part of the head of the wrench, even though it isa part which is pivotally supported with respect to the handle of thewrench. The guide 2 is formed in this saddle 5, and the slide 20 isslidable therein under the influence of the spring 2! as before.Movement of the slide in this instance is limited by means of a pin 23in the slide, engageable within a groove !5 of the handle, and it willbe noted that in the full open position of the movable jaw the pin 23 isdirectly over the axis of the pivot 5!, whereby the rocking movement ofthe movable jaw relative to the handle I0 is not dis- 1 turbed.

In this .pipe wrench the engaging or wedging member 3' is urged towardthe slide 20 by a springtiij backed by a removable plug 36. The lockingmember 3' is received in this instance within a slot 35', formeddirectly in one side of the wedging member 3, and the point 52, asbefore, engages a shoulder on the wedging member 3 to hold it inslide-secured position, as illustrated in Figure 7. However, the lockingmember is provided with an additional point 43 engageable with an end ofthe slot 31, whereby upon movement of the locking member 5' in adirection opposite to that required to lock the wedging member thelatter is moved away from engagement with the slide 2!], as may be seenin Figure 8. Thus the locking member in this form performs the dualfunctions of locking parts in adjusted position and of releasing themfrom engagement to permit the movable jaw to slide to the extreme outerlimits of its movement, and it is shown in this position in Figure 8.

It is desirable, in wrenches of this type, to provide spring means tohold the jaws swung somewhat away from their position of farthestapproach (usually to the position of nearest approach), in order themore easily to close down upon a The means which I have provided forthis purpose are valuable in connection with tit particular type of jawadjusting and locking means, and are valuable also in conjunction withtype of pipe wrench. For this purpose I provide in the handle !8 a slot56 extending substantially longitudinally of the handle (but not in linewith the pivot 5!) and in thisslot is received a block 6. By means of apin 6Q, or any like means, this block is connected to a depending ear 59of the saddle 5, the pin 61! passing through a transverse slot 55 in theear as to limit relative movement of the saddle and the 5 handle. Theslot 55 is arranged at an angle less than a right angle to a linejoining the axes of the pivot pin 5% and the stop pin 68. Consequentlythe action of a small spring t! on the lock 5 in effect causes the pin60, working within the slot 58, to slide to the position farthestdistant from the pivot pin 5!,or into the position shown in Figure 8,where the movable jaw 2 has been swung about the pivot 5! to theposition of closest approach to the fixed jaw l, engage- 6 ment of thesaddle and jaw limiting this movement. To engage the wrench with a pipeit is a simple matter to depress the end of the saddle 5 or of the slide20 with the thumb, and thus to swing the wrench open into the positionshown in Figure '7, but upon release, the spring 6! again e- -.h@ toswing towards each other.

In some wrenches means are provided for swinging the movable jawsomewhat away from the position of closest approach, and of main- 7taining it in a position intermediate that of closest approach of thetwo jaws and farthest separation of such jaws. I have provided meanswhereby this result can be accomplished in the modification shown inFigures 10 and 11. In 7 this form the slot 56', corresponding to theslot 58 and receiving the ends of the pin 60, has two branches; that isto say, its opposite ends are disposed at an angle to each other, andeach of them is at an angle less than 90 to a line joining the axes ofthe pins 6!! and El. When parts are in the position shown in Figure 11,the spring 3i tends to urge the pin along the slot 56' to a positionfarthest distant from the pin 5|, and it would be urged towards the sameposition if the pin 60 were in the opposite end of the slot 59. Theresult is that parts tend to remain in anin'termediate position, asshown in Figure 10, with the jaws partly swung open.

In this form (as indeed I might in the preceding form)' I have shown theblock 6 as so proportioned, relative to its slot I6, and relative to theslot 55, that upon swinging of the movable jaw into the position ofclosest approach to the fixed jaw, the block 6 bears at the end of itsslot l5, and serves, through the pin 6!! rather than through the pin 5!,to take the longitudinal stresses. Further to strengthen the wrench, inthis form as well as in the 'form just previously described, the pivotear 52 of the saddle is so formed that it bears snugly against theprojecting rear side of the fixed jaw l, and this engagement, when theparts are in the operative position of Figure 11, is such that thebearing at 53 serves as a fulcrum, thus relieving the pin 5| of thatduty to a large extent, and considerably strengthening the wrench.

It will be observed further that there is no looseness of the slide 20relative to the saddle 5, and all strains tending to bend the slide areresisted by the long bearing of the same within the saddle, even in themost extended position of parts, as shown in Figures 8 and 11. By the,

arrangement shown and described, the wrench may be made lighter inweight than wrenches of corresponding type and size now in use, partlybecause of the elimination of large nuts and the like, and partlybecause of the fact that the parts may be more closely fitted in place,and thereby to support each other better, though of lighter material.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Ina wrench, a head including a fixed j-aw, said head having a guideextending generally perpendicular to the fixed jaw, a movable jaw havinga slide received in said guide, spring means urging the movable jaw awayfrom the fixed jaw,

wedging means to secure the slide relative to the head, a spring-heldbutton in the head, positioned for engagement by the thumb of the handnormally holding the wrench, operatively connected to the wedging meansto release it, and means engageable with the wedging means when inslide-secured position to positively lock it in such position.

2. In a wrench, a head including a fixed law, said head having a guideextending generally perpendicular to the fixed jaw, and an interiorchamber one surface of which is disposed facing the jaw and angularlyrelative to the guide, a movable jaw having a slide received in saidguide, spring means urging the movable jaw and slide away from the fixedjaw and towards the angularly disposed surface, a wedge block disposedin the angle between said surface and the slide, the adjoining faces ofthe slide and wedge block having a plurality of fine corrugationsextending transversely of the direction of movement of the slide, by theintere'ngagement of which the wedge block, under the influence of thespring means,

is forced into engagement with the angled surface to lock the slideagainst movement away from the fixed jaw, a bolt oscillatably receivedin the wedge block, the head being bored to permit projection of saidbolt in a direction substantially parallel to the guide, to a positionfor engagement by the thumb of a hand normally grasping the wrench, torelease the wedge block.

3. In a wrench, a head including a fixed jaw, said head having a guideextending generally 10 perpendicular to the fixed jaw and a surfacedisposed facing the jaw and angularly relative to the guide, a movablejaw having a slide received in said guide, spring means urging themovable jaw and slide away from the fixed jaw and towards the angularlydisposed surface, a wedge blockdisposed in the angle between saidsurface and the slide, the adjoining faces of the slide and wedge blockhaving a plurality of fine corrugations extending transversely of thedirection of movement of the slide, by the interengagement of which thewedge block, under the influence of the spring means, is forced intoengagement with the angled surface to lock the slide against movementaway from the fixed jaw, a bolt received in the wedge block, and securedtherein by means slightly oscillatable in said wedge block, the headbeing bored to permit projection of said bolt in a directionsubstantially parallel to the guide, to a position for engagement by thethumb of a hand normally grasping the wrench, to release the wedgeblock, and a spring interposed between the head of said bolt and thewrench head, tending to hold the wedge block in the angle between theangled surface and the slide. 85

4. In a wrench, a head including a fixed jaw, said head having a guideextending generally perpendicular to the fixed jaw and a surfacedisposed facing the jaw and angularly relative to the guide, a movablejaw having a slide received in said guide, spring means urging themovable jaw and slide away from the fixed jaw and towards the angularlydisposed surface, a wedge block disposed in the angle between saidsurface and the slide, the adjoining faces of the slide and 45. wedgeblock having a plurality of fine corruga tions extending transversely ofthe direction of movement of the slide, by the interengagement of whichthe wedge block, under the influence of the spring means, is forced intoengagement with the angled surface to lock the slide against movementaway from the fixed jaw, a pin received in the wedge block to oscillateupon an axis parallel to the angled surface, a bolt received in saidpin, the wedge block and wrench head being bored to permit projectionand limited oscillation of the bolt, whereby pressure upon the bolt willrelease the wedge block.

5. In a wrench, in combination with a head including a fixed jaw, and amovable jaw adapted for motion towards or away from said fixed jaw,

a slide integral with said movable jaw, and guided in said head, saidhead having an interior chamber, means to hold said movable jaw in anydesired position comprising a wedge received in said chamber andengageablebetween the slide and wrench body, means to vary the positionof said wedge comprising a bolt connected to'said wedge by meansslightly oscillatable with respect tosaid wedge, said bolt extendingfrom the wedge to the surface of the head, and means engageable at willwith the wedge to positively lock the same in slide-secured position.

LARS E. HAGBO.

